Money Cant Buy Sobriety
I’ve often admired the Walton family because of their extreme success and wealth. Some people say wealth can’t buy you happiness but that doesn’t stop us from wanting to try. Money also can’t keep you out of trouble in every case. And it certainly can’t help you from having personal crisis. Take Alice Walton, 62 year old daughter of the late Sam Walton (of Walmart fame); and the second richest woman in the world. Walton was arrested recently on DWI charges and has a history of drunk driving charges, includin
g a crash that resulted in the death of a 50 year old woman. No charges were filed in that 1989 incident.
Ms Walton has a lot under her belt as a board member of the Walton Family Foundation, Chairman of the Board of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, member of the board of the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas and is a member of the Trustees’ Council of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC to just name a few of her successes.
But regardless of the billions to her name and her philanthropy she is not above the law. On Friday October 7 after a birthday celebration in her honor she got in her car and drove 71mph in a 55mph work zone. Reportedly when the Texas state trooper pulled her over she said, “Do you know who I am? Do you know my last name?” Maybe he didn’t but now we all do.
In Virginia, where this lawyer practices law, a second or greater DWI would result in jail time, hefty fines, state ordered drug and alcohol abuse therapy and a three year loss of her driver’s license. If it was the third offense, as with Ms. Walton, she could easily serve 6 months in jail, lose her license for 5 years, be required to undergo intense substance abuse therapy through Virginia’s ASAP program and pay a hefty fine. Although fines may not impress Ms. Walton, her loss of freedom undoubtedly would get her attention. Because drunk driving is a choice fueled by a habit and condition I, for one, cant be totally unsympathetic. However, I think we would all be better off if she had some motivation to get her disease under control. That’s where the judge comes in. Sympathy to her behind bars . . . that’s something to think about. Good Luck Alice.
